Contentions

Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Gen. Hassan Tehrani-Moghadam died in a mysterious explosion last month reportedly after having achieved a breakthrough in Iran’s ballistic missile program. While Iran’s apologists repeatedly deny the Islamic Republic has genocidal intent against Israel, the reality is quitedifferent. According to the website of the Student Basij, which earlier this week published Moghadam’s last will and testament, Moghadam had declared in it: “Write on my tombstone: This is the grave of someone who wanted to annihilate Israel.”

In 1990, policymakers dismissed Saddam’s threats against Kuwait as merely rhetorical flourish. With Iran apparently experimenting with nuclear technology that has nothing to do with energy production, and with statements such as Moghadam’s, perhaps it’s time to take Iran at its word when it comes to its leadership’s genocidal intent.